


Working from Home

by Bluewolf458



Category: The Sentinel
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-21
Updated: 2013-10-21
Packaged: 2017-12-30 02:16:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 832
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1012857
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bluewolf458/pseuds/Bluewolf458
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Blair is sick with a chest infection.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Working from Home

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Sentinel Thursday

"Where's Sandburg?" Simon asked on Monday morning, pausing at Jim's desk as he passed it en route to his office.

"Sick," Jim said.

"I know he seemed a bit off color on Friday - " 

"Off color?" Jim shook his head. "It's more than that. His lungs have never completely recovered from the battering they took when he drowned, and he seems to pick up any chest infection that's floating around. I took him to see a doctor on Friday night; Henson prescribed an antibiotic, and I've been force-feeding it to him, but it hasn't helped much. He can't stop coughing." He looked up and Simon could easily see the misery in his eyes. "The only reason I'm here right now instead of taking two or three days of my vacation time is this case - " He indicated the folder on his desk. "This guy has to be stopped, Simon."

"And just how much of your attention is on it?" Simon asked perceptively.

"Enough," Jim said. "But I'm not really getting anywhere."

"All right," Simon said. "Take the folder with you, and go home. Work from there. That way you can do your job and still keep an eye on the kid... and if I know him, he can offer you a few ideas."

"Thanks."

***

As he reached the loft door, Jim could hear coughing, but it had stopped by the time he opened the door.

"Jim?"

Blair was simply sitting on the couch, and although there was a book lying beside him, it was closed. That alone told Jim that Blair was feeling far from well.

"Simon told me I could work at home," Jim said. "Seemed a good idea, because you can look at these reports, see if you can come up with one of your out-of-the-box ideas."

Blair glanced at him a little suspiciously. Jim grinned back, his face innocent.

"Why do I think that's just an excuse to hover?" Blair muttered.

"I don't deny I'm glad of the excuse to keep an eye on you - you're far too inclined to ignore your own health; but I really could use your input," Jim said seriously. "I'm not getting anywhere. You can cut through obscurity as if it were butter."

Blair straightened, though Jim could see that it took something of an effort. "All right," he said. "Let me have a look."

Jim handed him half of the papers in the folder, and as Blair began to read, Jim went to the kitchen and switched on the kettle. A few minutes later he returned carrying two mugs of coffee. He gave one to Blair, then sat beside him sipping the other, and reading his half of the evidence.

Blair took a mouthful of coffee and read on. "There's something here... " he said after a while, and took another mouthful of his almost cold coffee. "As far as I can see, all the victims were seriously ill with a life changing, though not immediately life threatening, condition, some of them as the result of an accident, but the prognosis for eventual recovery wasn't good." Blair said. "They were all at home, getting medical help at home. The killer might have been one of the nurses."

"That did occur to me, but I'd hate to think a nurse or a doctor was responsible - " Jim began.

"He or she could see it as mercy killing. And it's always possible that the victims expressed a wish to die, making it assisted suicide."

"It's still murder," Jim said.

"I know," Blair agreed. "I'm just saying it could be worth checking on the medical personnel who visited the victims, and questioning any who saw more than one of them."

"You know something," Jim said. "At the moment you're suffering a life changing but not life threatening condition. I'm just glad you're not bad enough to need medical visitation."

Blair grinned. "I'll get better," he said. "And I'm sure not expressing any wish to die. There's still too much I want to do... and you still need my help." His grin widened as he indicated the papers covering the coffee table. "That proves it."

"Yes," Jim agreed. "I need you. So you hurry up and shake off this infection!" He glanced at his watch. "It's nearly lunchtime already," he went on. "What would you like?"

"I was just going to have some soup," Blair admitted.

"And one of your antibiotic pills."

"Yes, dad."

Jim reached over and ruffled Blair's hair. "Go and put the soup on while I phone Simon, pass on your theory and arrange to have the rest of the week as vacation time. No, don't argue," he added as Blair opened his mouth. "A sentinel looks after his guide. And anyway, if I was the one coughing my lungs up - what would you be doing, huh? Don't think I don't realize a guide looks after his sentinel."

And as Jim reached for the phone, Blair grinned again, got up and, without further argument, headed for the kitchen.


End file.
